Outlook pop-under for new email

[bthylafh]

Got a user with a third-party program that requires Outlook. Her workflow is that she opens the program, tells it to do its thing, then has it send out a confirmation email through Outlook. Ever since she got a new computer (a couple weeks or so) Outlook will pop-under the window for the new email rather than have it pop-up. This doesn't happen on the other new computer in that department with the same software and workflow.

Outlook is 2010 32-bit on 64-bit Win7 in both cases, talking to an IMAP/SSL and a SMTP/SSL server. Any suggestions on how to make it pop up? It's a minor thing, but she's one of those users.

[Arvald]

Try this tool. This is what we use and we are a Win7 and Outlook shop for everything.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1171220


<edit - link was missing>

[bthylafh]

It's not for notifications, it's for the sending-email window: To:, Subject: message body, and so on, ready for you to fill in and hit "send".

Thanks anyway, though.

[yogibbear]

Sounds like a bug in her "third-party program"

[bthylafh]

Developer says they don't and never have controlled that, it's just a MAPI call.

[Ryhadar]

You said the computer was new, are widgets enabled on the computer? Try closing all the widgets.

I say this as having widgets open on certain PCs of mine and using alt+tab puts the preview window behind full screen windows when widgets are on. It could be the same deal.

*EDIT* Re-reading the description again, I think I misunderstood the problem but, meh, can't hurt to check.

[UberGerbil]

Just so I understand the problem: the app (which is a separate EXE and not just an Outlook add-in?) gathers some information and then is supposed to invoke Outlook to bring up a compose mail window (ie, like what happens when you click on a mailto: link with Outlook registered as your default email handler) And in the past the compose mail window appeared on top of the app, but now it is loading lower in the z-order so it is hidden by the app window?

[bthylafh]

Precisely.

[bthylafh]

You said the computer was new, are widgets enabled on the computer? Try closing all the widgets.

I say this as having widgets open on certain PCs of mine and using alt+tab puts the preview window behind full screen windows when widgets are on. It could be the same deal.

*EDIT* Re-reading the description again, I think I misunderstood the problem but, meh, can't hurt to check.

I'll have a whack at this on Monday. Knowing the user she's got a widget running (was a big Google Desktop user in the XP days), but then again she likely would have had one on her old computer.

[bthylafh]

I didn't notice any widgets open, and I also tried uninstalling/reinstalling Outlook like the vendor tech guessed might help. No change.

Any other ideas?

[derFunkenstein]

Does this help? It's a registry setting that makes windows open behind other windows. Is it happening system wide? If it is, you might check this out.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=886217
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886217

(should link the same article)

[bthylafh]

Assuming your links are correct (404 and a search result, and I followed the first result) apparently this hotfix is included in a later patch & thus doesn't apply to a fully-patched system, as this is.